Conolly Abel Smith

Conolly Abel Smith (3 December 1899-3 December 1985) was a Vice Admiral of the British Royal Navy.

Biography
Conolly Abel Smith was born in Branston, Lincolnshire, England in 1899, and he entered the Royal Navy in 1912. He served aboard the battlecruiser HMS Princess Royal during World War I, and he rose to the rank of commander in 1933 and to flying commander in August 1939. His ship, HMS Courageous, was sunk by a German U-boat on 17 September 1939 during World War II, and he was promoted to captain on 30 June 1940. In 1942, while in command of the escort carrier HMS Biter, he took part in the Operation Torch landings in North Africa, and he returned to shore duty in July 1943. From 1944 to 1946, he served as naval attache at the British embassy in Washington DC in the United States. In 1949, he was promoted to Rear Admiral, and he served as commanding officer of the royal yacht Britannia from 1954 to 1958. He retired in 1958, and he died in 1985 on his 86th birthday.